Angelonia plant named ‘Loblu’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Angelonia  plant named ‘Loblu’ characterized by its compact, upright and outwardly slanting plant habit; freely branching habit; early and freely flowering habit; large violet-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Angelonia hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘LOBLU’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofAngelonia plant, botanically known as Angelonia hybrida and hereinafterreferred to by the name ‘Loblu’.

The new Angelonia plant is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Dresden, Germany. The objective of thebreeding program is to create new compact and freely-flowering Angeloniaplants with attractive flower coloration.

The new Angelonia plant originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventor during the summer of 2007 in Dresden, Germany of two unnamedproprietary selections of Angelonia hybrida, not patented. The newAngelonia plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a singleflowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in acontrolled greenhouse environment in Dresden, Germany during the summerof 2008.

Asexual reproduction of the new Angelonia plant by cuttings in acontrolled greenhouse environment in Dresden, Germany since August, 2008has shown that the unique features of this new Angelonia plant arestable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Angelonia have not been observed under all possiblecombinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. Thephenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditionssuch as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variancein genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Loblu’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Loblu’ as a new and distinct Angelonia plant:

-   -   1. Compact, upright and outwardly slanting plant habit.    -   2. Freely branching habit.    -   3. Early and freely flowering habit.    -   4. Large violet-colored flowers.    -   5. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Angelonia differ from plants of the parent selectionsprimarily in plant and flowering habit as plants of the new Angeloniaare more freely branching and freely flowering than plants of the parentselections.

Plants of the new Angelonia can be compared to plants of Angeloniahybrid ‘Adeblu’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 20,677. Inside-by-side comparisons conducted in Dresden, Germany, plants of thenew Angelonia and ‘Adeblu’ differed in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Angelonia were shorter and had shorter        internodes than plants of ‘Adeblu’.    -   2. Plants of the new Angelonia were more freely branching than        plants of ‘Adeblu’.    -   3. Plants of the new Angelonia had narrower leaves than plants        of ‘Adeblu’.    -   4. Plants of the new Angelonia had smaller flowers than        ‘Adeblu’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new Angelonia plant showing the colors as true as it isreasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color valuescited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describethe colors of the new Angelonia plant.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of atypical flowering plant of ‘Loblu’.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of a typicalflowering plant of ‘Loblu’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants used for the aforementioned photographs and the followingobservations, measurements and values were grown during the summer andautumn in 13-cm containers in a glass-covered greenhouse in Dresden,Germany and under cultural practices typical of commercial Angeloniaproduction. During the production of the plants, day temperatures wereabout 20° C., night temperatures were about 16° C. and light levelsranged from 15 kilolux to 100 kilolux. Plants were pinched two times,two and six weeks after planting. Plants were five months old when thedescription was taken and six months old when the photographs weretaken. In the following description, color references are made to TheRoyal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except wheregeneral terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Angelonia hybrida ‘Loblu’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed proprietary selection of            Angelonia hybrida, not patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unnamed proprietary selection of            Angelonia hybrida, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots.—About 20 days at temperatures about            20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About four weeks at            temperatures about 20° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; moderately dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Herbaceous perennial; compact,            upright and outwardly slanting plant habit; broad inverted            triangle; freely branching habit; when pinched, about eight            to ten lateral branches develop per plant; moderately            vigorous growth habit.        -   Plant height.—About 40 to 45 cm.        -   Plant width (spread).—About 30 cm to 40 cm.        -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 30 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm            to 4 mm. Internode length: About 1 cm to 2 cm. Strength:            Moderately strong to strong. Texture: Slightly pubescent.            Color: Close to 144B.-   Leaf description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, decussate; simple; sessile.        -   Length.—About 5 cm to 8 cm.        -   Width.—About 1 cm to 1.5 cm.        -   Shape.—Lanceolate to oblong.        -   Apex.—Acute.        -   Base.—Attenuate.        -   Margin.—Serrate.        -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.        -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.        -   Color.—Developing and fully expanded leaves, upper surface:            Close to 137B; venation, close to 137A. Developing and fully            expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 137C; venation,            close to 139C.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower type and flowering habit.—Single flowers arranged in            terminal racemes; flowers face mostly outwardly; freely            flowering habit; full dense inflorescences.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Natural flowering season.—Early flowering habit, plants            begin flowering about nine to ten weeks after planting; in            the garden, flowering is continuous from mid-May until frost            in Central Europe.        -   Postproduction longevity.—Flowers last about 20 days on the            plant; flowers not persistent.        -   Flower buds.—Height: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 5 mm.            Shape: Globose. Color: Close to 138A.        -   Inflorescence height.—About 20 cm to 25 cm.        -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 7 cm.        -   Flower size.—About 3 cm by 2.5 cm.        -   Flower depth.—About 1 cm.        -   Petals.—Quantity per flower: Typically five in a single            whorl; petals fused at the base into a tubular throat.            Length: About 1 cm. Width: About 1.2 cm. Shape: Roughly            spatulate. Apex: Rounded. Margin: Entire, undulate. Texture,            upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; velvety. Color:            When opening and fully opened, upper surface: Close to 87C;            color does not fade with development. When opening and fully            opened, lower surface: Close to 88C; color does not fade            with development. Throat: Close to 155D and 87C.        -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Typically five in a single            whorl. Length: About 5 mm. Width: About 3 mm. Shape:            Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and            lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper and lower            surfaces: Close to 137B.        -   Pedicels.—Length: About 1 cm to 2 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm.            Angle: Outward to slightly upright, less than 90° from            vertical. Strength: Moderately strong; flexible. Texture:            Slightly pubescent. Color: Close to 146A.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Typically            four. Filament length: About 3 mm. Filament color: Close to            155C. Anther shape: Elliptic. Anther length: About 2 mm.            Anther color: Brown to grey. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen            color: Close to 155D. Pistils: Quantity per flower: One.            Pistil length: About 4 mm. Stigma shape: Tapering. Stigma            color: Close to 155D. Style length: About 3 mm. Style color:            Close to 155D. Ovary color: Close to 165C.        -   Fruits.—Length: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 5 mm. Color:            Close to 177C.        -   Seeds.—Quantity per flower: About 30 to 50. Length: Less            than 1 mm. Diameter: Less than 1 mm. Color: Light brown.-   Disease & pest resistance: Plants of the new Angelonia have not been    noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Angelonia    plants.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Angelonia have been observed    to have good garden performance and tolerate rain, wind and    temperatures ranging from about 1° C. to 30° C.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Angelonia plant named ‘Loblu’ asillustrated and described.